Press Release

Waypoint Partners, a leading growth and M&A advisory firm to the marketing services and technology sectors, has appointed Deepa Shah as a new partner and addition to the leadership team. 

Deepa has built her agency finance career over 20 years, with roles at Hall & Partners/Omnicom and Publicis Sapient where she was CFO. She has worked as a consultant to independent agencies since leaving Sapient in 2020.

She has picked up multiple accolades for her work, including: “CFO of the Year” in the 2018 Women in Finance Awards (UK); Acquisition International Magazine’s (London) “Technology CFO of the Year” 2020; and winner in the Business category of the NatWest sponsored 2016 Asian Women of Achievement Awards.

Deepa joins a 25-strong team that is aiming to redraw what good advisory looks like in the industries where it operates. Waypoint Partners focuses on building enterprise value, via growth advice, M&A, funding and other specialist services. That ambition requires a range of skills that goes beyond accounting/banking/finance and legal.

Commenting on Deepa’s arrival, Jim Houghton says: “To deliver our ambition of supporting businesses to “grow well” it’s important that we have people on our team who have a deep empathy and understanding of the sectors where we operate and the people and companies within them.

He continues: “Deepa’s unique career pathway, which has seen her support agency leaders on practically every financial, strategic or operational decision they might face, big or small, means she has a real breadth of vision.  She will therefore be a great enabler of the next iteration of Waypoint Partners and play a key role in enhancing the quality of our advice across all our services.  Practitioners with Deepa’s experience are a rare breed and we’re fortunate to be welcoming her to the team.”

Commenting on her decision to join Waypoint Partners, Deepa says: “I’d reached a stage where I’d seen everything that comes with an agency CFO role, but also knew I wanted deeper exposure to deal-making and broader aspects of agency advisory.

“Jim and I first worked together twenty years ago when he acted on behalf of Omnicom in its acquisition of Hall & Partners, where I was working. I had huge respect for his work then, and equally Waypoint has a great reputation. I’m excited to build the next stage of my career with some of the best talent in the advisory industry. In turn, I bring with me a diversity of skills and experience to the business that can help deliver on its ambitions.”

Alongside her corporate life, Deepa is involved in supporting agencies and other businesses via non-exec positions. She is passionate about helping women navigate and move up the career ladder and continues to be a mentor to many.  She has also been a  non-exec for London South Bank University and mentored entrepreneurs on NatWest’s Entrepreneur Accelerator programme or seeking support from the British Library.

Waypoint closed six deals in the second half of 2022, including the sale of Born Social to Croud, Lexington to kyu, XX Artists to S4 Capital PLC and Nomensa to Sideshow.

ENDS

About Waypoint Partners

Waypoint Partners is unique in combining specialist corporate finance expertise with a deep knowledge and experience of running and growing agencies and technology companies.

A relentless focus on growing value for clients is delivered through tried and tested methods, processes and partner expertise running successful businesses, combined with Waypoint’s last ten years supporting 260 plus agencies in realising their objectives and aspirations.

Waypoint’s agnostic position allows it objectivity in responding to client needs, bringing the appropriate mix of advice, guidance, growth capital and transaction support to suit each business, wherever it is in its development journey.

You can listen to Waypoint Partners’ industry leading podcast, Waypointers here.